


Autumn Leaves

by babybrotherdean



Series: Deadwood Creek [3]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Autumn, Boys Kissing, Domestic Fluff, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Just Add Kittens, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 17:09:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16580612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babybrotherdean/pseuds/babybrotherdean
Summary: Jared and Jensen enjoy the end of autumn together.





	Autumn Leaves

**Author's Note:**

> Autumn is pretty and I miss this story a lot. <3 have a little snippet.

This has always been Jensen’s favourite part of the season. The chilly air that comes before the frigid winter; the explosions of colour in the forest that precede the inevitable decay; the last warm, sunny hints of autumn that trail into the middle of November. The leaves underfoot have started to pile up, but they don’t take away from the late-season bouquet overhead, where little gusts of wind carry stragglers to join the rest on the ground. In the weeks that pass after Halloween and the tangible shift in the air that teases at the upcoming snow, he feels peaceful and content. Perhaps most notably- the thing that stands out clearly, distinguishing this particular autumn from any that has come before it- he doesn’t feel like he’s alone.

Jared hovers the way he always does, forever within arm’s reach as Jensen gets himself ready. A heavy flannel is good enough for this weather, but he piles on a woolen hat and its matching scarf for good measure. The mittens he leaves behind for now; his fingers still aren’t in great shape and he doesn’t have anything that’ll fit over the brace. The kittens come next; they’ve already got their natural fur coats, and Jared isn’t the only one who’s questioned his insistence on dressing them for the cold, but it satisfies some paternal instinct inside him and it’s a tradition he refuses to leave behind. Tiny boots, hand-knit sweaters, and then they’re ready to go, tripping over themselves and each other in excitement before Jared scoops the three of them up off the cabin floor. They settle in his arms, still piping up with little mewls of excitement, and Jensen laughs, tugging on his boots so they can finally head outside.

“Does it always take you this long to get anywhere with them?” Jared asks, and he’s got a smile on his face like he already knows the answer. Smartass. “Or is this just a special circumstance?”

Jensen decides not to dignify that with a response, though he can’t help the smile on his face that probably takes away from the half-hearted attempt at an unamused expression. He steps forward to open the door for them, relishing in the gust of cold air that greets him as he steps outside with Jared right at his back. Right away, he feels calm, taking a deep breath and feeling the sleepy magic of the season wash over him.

“It’s gonna snow soon,” Jared muses behind him, and Jensen leads the way down off the porch as he drinks it all in. “It’s getting colder.”

He’s right. Weather patterns are among the many consistencies of Deadwood Creek, with predictable shifts in the temperature coming around the same time every year. They’ve got a couple weeks, tops, before they see the first signs of winter. “Guess you’ll get to see how we do Christmas, huh?”

“You guys do Christmas?” And just like that, Jared’s excited again, hurrying ahead to walk by Jensen’s side on the way around the back of the house. There’s a cozy little sitting area back here, with an old fire pit that he mostly uses in the winter. He doesn’t plan on getting it going today, but it’s still a nice spot. “Like… Christmas-Christmas? Is it as fun as Halloween?”

Jensen smiles, his heart warm with Jared’s never-ending cheerfulness. Even after everything that happened on Halloween night, Jared still clings to the good of it all, and it’s endearing. Encouraging. They’re opposites, in a way, and maybe that’s what makes it so easy to get along. “I think so, yeah. Maybe even more fun.”

Jared gives an excited little whoop, and when Jensen looks his way, he’s paused, starting to crouch down. “Are they allowed to run around? Will they try to escape?”

Atticus, Felix, and Freyja are squirming around in Jared’s arms, already trying to make their way to the ground now that it’s so close. Jensen laughs as Jared tries to keep them under control. “Yeah, they’re okay. We’ll just keep an eye on them. They shouldn’t go far.”

With a smile, Jared sets the three of them down, and just like that, they’re entirely absorbed in their playtime. The blanket of leaves on the ground serves as the perfect territory for play-fighting, and they go right to bowling each other over, running through the little piles that surround them, and wholly enjoying the chance for some freedom. Jensen watches them with a fond smile, slowly taking a seat on one of the little log benches that surround the fire pit, letting himself rest.

Jared, for his part, keeps playing with the kittens for a bit. Mostly, he just chases them around in circles and drops handfuls of leaves in little showers over the three of them, laughing when they all try to bat them out of the air. For now, Jensen’s just happy to view it from the outside, content in the knowledge that this is his. Against all odds, he’s secured himself this little slice of happiness, and there’s nothing in the world that he’ll allow to take it away from him.

In all his pondering, Jensen doesn’t pay any mind to Jared leaving his line of sight. He just continues to watch the kittens play, smiling to himself and only half-listening to the sound of rustling that comes from somewhere behind him. He opens his mouth to speak- to ask if Jared thinks they should break out the cocoa when they get back inside- but just as he starts to half-turn to face the werewolf in question, he’s hit with a sudden cold-wet- _gross_ as somebody stuffs a fistful of leaves down the back of his shirt. It startles a yelp out of Jensen as he scrambles to his feet, and he whips around in time to catch Jared laughing and dancing out of the way.

It takes a moment for Jensen to compose himself- it’s hard to look dignified in the process of shaking the leaves out of his shirt, especially when he can only use the one hand- but then his focus changes entirely, narrowing his eyes as he scoops some leaves of his own off the ground and sets off after Jared. “Get over here, you little-”

They chase each other around the yard for a few minutes, Jared cackling madly as Jensen tries and fails to catch up with him. He’s got a supernatural advantage and apparently isn’t shy about using it, keeping just out of reach so Jensen can’t get his revenge. Not that he’s really all that upset; it only takes a couple minutes of their little game before Jensen’s laughing, too, breathless and masked in puffs of white air, already fatigued by the cold but refusing to give up now that they’ve gotten into it.

Unfortunately, Jensen’s not paying very much attention to his surroundings, and as his body grows tired, his movements get a little sloppy. He tries to take a quick turn around one of the logs, but his foot gets caught on something and he starts to go down. He’s got a split-second to brace himself, throwing his arms out to catch the fall, but-

But thankfully, Jared has his little supernatural advantage.

It’s a little dizzying to be reminded of how quickly he can move, but between one heartbeat and the next, Jensen is safely in Jared’s arms, eyes a little wide and his handful of leaves cascading down around them in lazy arcs. Jared’s grinning, and as he sets Jensen back on his feet, he speaks, low and soft. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

Jensen almost wants to protest the teasing tone, but then Jared’s hand finds one of his, lifting it. It’s the one with the broken finger, and Jared brings it high enough to press a kiss to Jensen’s knuckles, suddenly gentle. It’s a stark reminder of what happened, and the ache in his side becomes harder to ignore. Jared’s healed up good as new, but Jensen’s injuries haven’t gone away just yet.

“I’m okay,” Jensen says, quiet, because behind Jared’s smile is a tiny hint of concern. The both of them still cling to it in their own ways; the fear that came with almost losing somebody so important. Even now, a few weeks after the fact, it’s scary to think about. For the moment, Jensen chooses not to: he takes a small breath and stretches up on his toes and presses a kiss to Jared’s jaw, lingering there for a moment. Even alone, the affection is still hard for him, but he’s getting better. It helps to feel the flutter of excitement in his chest every time he’s close to Jared. “You want to head inside? We’ve still got some cocoa.”

Jared’s smile goes soft at the edges, and then he closes the distance between them properly; it’s easier for Jensen to relax into the kiss when he’s not the one who has to initiate it. Every heartbeat that passes with their lips pressed together makes it a little bit easier to breathe, and before long, he’s at ease again, the past set aside for this precious moment. There’s no sense in focusing on the fear, not when it threatens to ruin the here-and-now that’s so, so important.

“That sounds nice,” Jared says once they separate, and he sounds better, too. Leans in for one last peck on the lips before straightening up, not quite letting Jensen out of his hold. “Let’s go get cozy.”

They gather up the kittens once more, the three of them already mostly tuckered out, and together, they head inside. The cabin’s warmth is a welcome comfort, and Jensen goes about getting the cocoa ready while Jared puts the kittens to bed. Jensen might not have the most conventional family out there, but it fits perfectly in the odd little town where he’s spent most of his life.

Outside, the wind continues to blow, and the leaves continue to fall off of their trees. It’s chilly, and the sun will set soon, and before long, they’ll be seeing snow. It’s only a matter of time before winter sets in and curls its icy fingers around the world, stealing away the last of the autumn colours in favour of painting the world white.

Inside, none of it matters, because Jared’s curling his arms around Jensen’s middle and holding him like he’s the most precious, fragile thing in the entire world. Jared’s got his lips at Jensen’s pulse point and he’s whispering tiny affections and Jensen knows that he doesn’t need anything else. Not so long as he’s got this little bit of peace for himself.

He might not have much in this world, but he knows he has everything that matters. A safe home for his family, a cup of hot cocoa, a purpose in life-

And Jared. Beyond everything else, he’s got Jared. The rest doesn’t feel very important.

**Author's Note:**

> I've still got a proper sequel in the works, but... we'll see how that goes. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
